The Walking Dead: 400 Days Review – Everybody Hurts

That feeling of guilt, regret, shame. A bad taste in your mouth and the hole in your gut. You played The Walking Dead from Telltale Games. Oh, but you thought Season One was the end of it? Get ready for a new world of hurt in 400 Days.

On the DLC war, I’m against it. I don’t buy them. Not a single one. But 400 Days is simply too good to pass up and is enough to break my conviction. If you’re a fan of Season One, it’s a must.

You have the choice of playing through five stories in the same “point-and-click” fashion from Season One. Each one ties into the other and in the grand scheme, they’ll tie into Season Two. So there’s yet another little incentive to get 400 Days if the idea of an engaging (albeit heartbreaking) story doesn’t appeal to you. Because you’re crazy, or something.

The gameplay is simple enough that you’re getting this to experience the lives of the five survivors as they traverse a day during the 400 of the zombie apocalypse. (Teehee, like the title!)Each story is compelling in its own way, with choices that are unique to them. Telltale definitely upped the ante on tough decisions this time around, and it’s commendable they were able to fit so many in such a small expansion. Five different people, handling five different FUBAR situations, all at different points within 400 days.

None of the characters are from Season One, but with how well they’re written, you’ll love them as much by the end of 400 Days. The most interesting aspect comes with wondering how they’ll tie into the sequel. Each character had their own ways of dealing with the situations they were put in, but they all had you behind them. Your choices still ridden with their personalities. A hippie that’s running from something, a convict on his way to prison, a woman who wants nothing more but to keep her little sister innocent, a young student hitchhiking to his grandmother’s, and an ex drug addict on the road to recovery. Yeah, this shit gets deep.

While beating it entirely in one hour left me wishing for more to tide me over until Season Two, $4.99 is the perfect price to experience a game that grabs your attention and doesn’t let go until the credits roll. No, the gameplay isn’t mind blowing. In fact, I think the majority of the times you’re pressing a button, it’s to talk. I played on PC and as is true with Season 1, 400 Days is better for me on a controller. There are no, “shoot the zombie in the head with really terrible crosshair controls,” this time around. What we have here is an expansion that just adds to the story you fell in love with in before. By the way, don’t try to play it without having Season One, it’s an expansion so you’ll at least need that one. In any case, you should have played it by now. 400 Days is continuation for those that want one, in the same artistic styling we love. You need 400 Days if you’re a big fan as it sets the foundation for Season Two. And on its own, it sets the foundation for you to feel like shit over your choices.